


it's time

by demonicneonfishy



Series: february angst-fest (febuwhump 2021) [4]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Gen, I am so sorry for this, Pre-Canon, the major character is lykon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:33:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29202909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonicneonfishy/pseuds/demonicneonfishy
Summary: Quýnh is the first to notice, looking down at the wound in Lykon’s stomach with a growing expression of horror.The wound that isn’t healing.
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia & Lykon & Quynh | Noriko, Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Quynh | Noriko
Series: february angst-fest (febuwhump 2021) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141784
Kudos: 23





	it's time

**Author's Note:**

> day 4 of febuwhump 2021  
> prompt: impaled

It’s nothing they haven’t handled before.

So when a spear catches Lykon through the stomach, throwing him from his horse, Andromache has no reason to believe he won’t get back up again.

Until it’s been too long, and he doesn’t get up.

Andromache signals to Quýnh with nothing more than a tilt of her head. Together, they finish off or chase away the last few enemy stragglers and ride towards Lykon as quickly as possible. Andromache slides off her horse before it’s come to a full stop, running the last few feet, her heart pounding in her chest. 

_They are unbreakable. Lykon will be okay_ , she tries to tell herself.

Andromache kneels beside him, careful not to touch the spearhead still buried in his stomach.

There’s so much blood. She’s seen a lot of blood in her time, but it still hurts to see her family injured.

Lykon tries to speak. 

“No,” Andromache says gently. “No, save your strength. You’ll heal faster.”

Quýnh kneels on Lykon’s other side.

“We’re going to pull it out, okay?” Andromache tells him. “You won’t heal otherwise.”

Lykon nods, and Andromache grips the shaft of the spear. Quýnh takes Lykon’s hand and squeezes, then nods at Andromache.

She pulls. Hard. 

The spear slides free with a sickening sound, and Lykon screams in pain. Andromache casts aside the spear and takes Lykon’s other hand.

“Breathe,” she reassures him. “It’ll heal soon.” They’ve each been through this a thousand times before, but it never gets easier.

Quýnh is the first to notice, looking down at the wound in Lykon’s stomach with a growing expression of horror.

The wound that isn’t healing.

“No,” Quýnh whispers. “No, no, no, Lykon-”

Andromache looks down at it, and feels sick. “It’s not possible.”

“It’s time,” Lykon whispers.

“Why won’t it stop?” Quýnh asks, searching around for something to staunch the bleeding.

“It’s time,” Lykon insists. 

Andromache shakes her head. “No. Hold on, we’re going to save you.”

For the first time in millennia, Andromache is _scared_. She watches Quýnh press a cloth to the wound in Lykon’s stomach, tear tracks on her cheeks, and realises that they are not unbreakable. Someday, they too will die, just like everyone else.

Someday, she could lose Quýnh forever. The thought fills her with terror.

She searches her memory for some sign, some warning that this was coming, and finds nothing. Lykon had been fine. There was nothing about the wound that had been different to any of the others he’s sustained over the years.

He is the youngest of them. If anyone should be dying, it’s Andromache. She has lived too long as it is.

But it’s Lykon. Lykon, who is kind and fierce and whose laughter brightens even the darkest of days. Her brother, who she loves with her whole heart.

 _Watch your back,_ she’d told him before they’d ridden into battle.

 _That’s your job, Andromache_ , he’d responded with a smile.

And it is her job. Maybe if she’d been watching - maybe she could have warned him about the spear - maybe she could have saved him.

Quýnh is sobbing openly now, desperately trying to stop the bleeding to no avail.

Lykon squeezes both of their hands weakly. “It’s time,” he whispers a third time. He looks at Quýnh, then at Andromache, and manages to smile. “I love you.”

Quýnh turns away then, unable to watch. Andromache holds eye contact until the end. 

When Lykon finally drifts away, there is something like relief in his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> :(  
> -  
> i'm demonicneonfishy too on tumblr if you wanna come say hi! (or yell at me for the angst)


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